Great Canadian Music Creators and Publishers Honoured at 26th SOCAN Awards

A who’s who of the Canadian music industry gathered last night in Toronto to honour Canada’s most talented “Born to Be” songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers at the 26th SOCAN Awards.

SOCAN is a member-based organization that represents the Canadian performing rights of more than four-million Canadian and international music creators and publishers. SOCAN is proud to play a leading role in supporting the long-term success of its more than 130,000 Canadian members, and the Canadian music industry overall. SOCAN licenses more than 125,000 businesses in Canada, and distributes royalties to its members and music rights organizations around the world. SOCAN also distributes royalties to its members for the use of their music internationally in collaboration with its peer societies.

Sponsored by Gowlings, KPMG, RBC and HMV, and hosted by CMT Canada’s Paul McGuire, the SOCAN Awards recognize the lifetime and more recent achievements of Canada’s music creators, honoured in a host of categories, including Pop/Rock, Dance, Urban, Country, Jazz, Folk/Roots, Classical, and Film & Television.

Recipients of SOCAN’s major achievement awards this year were the legendary Randy Bachman (Lifetime Achievement), Dallas Green (National Achievement), MAGIC! (International Achievement), music industry pioneer Bernie Finkelstein (Special Achievement), and “Born to be Wild” songwriter Mars Bonfire, who accepted SOCAN’s first-ever Cultural Impact Award. All accepted their honours in person, as did R&B chart-toppers The Weeknd and Belly, rising country stars Brett Kissel and Tim Hicks, and film and TV composers Keith Power and Andrew Lockington, among many others.

Performers included soulful young sensation Francesco Yates, who sang “Better to be Loved”; heavy metal rockers Anvil, who honoured Mars Bonfire with a thundering rendition of “Born to be Wild”; Kristian Alexandrov, Olena Kilchyk, Calvin Beale and Doan Pham, who played a medley of film and TV themes; “doom soul” singer-songwriter Cold Specks, who re-defined Warren Pash’s SOCAN Classic Award-winning song “Private Eyes”; and Randy Bachman, backed by Toronto rockers Big Sugar, who closed the show with a thrilling medley of “American Woman” and “Takin’ Care of Business” – accompanied by the audience of more than 600 guests playing cowbells.

“Canadian-made music is essential to Canada’s culture, pride and economy,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “SOCAN’s members are creating music that reaches millions of people at home, and touches hearts and minds worldwide. And our music publisher members are crucial to bringing those songs to the marketplace to expand the reach of great Canadian music around the country, the continent and the world.”

SOCAN will also recognize outstanding Francophone music creators and publishers at an awards gala in October 2015 at Métropolis in the heart of Montreal.